Device for moving field sprinkler systems



Jan. l2, 1954 n. G. IDLER DEVICE FOR MOVING FIELD SPRINKLER SYSTEMS Filed Jan. 14, 1952 AI5 Sheets-Sheet l hm. Q L

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. JNVENTOR. @A wo' G J2ME/e AFM/vir Jan. l2, 1954v D. G. IDLER DEVICE FOR MOVING FIELDv SPRINKLER SYSTEMS 5 ShqetsgSheet 2 Filed Jan. 14, 1952 IN V EN TUR. W0 fm R Jan. 12, 1954 D. G. 1DLER DEVICE FOR MOVING FIELD SPRINKLER. SYSTEMS Filed Jan. 14, 1952 IN V EN TOR. DAV/o 6. ./@LER ,armar/7 Patented Jan. l2, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT IUFFICI-2l Device ron MoviNG FIELD SPRINKLER srs'rEMs David AIdler, Irk, Colo.

Application January y14, 1952, Serial N o. 266,344

(Cl. 29d-47) Another'object ofthe invention is to provide motor-actuated means which can be interconnected to 'a plurality of spaced .sprinkler :pipe lines `torotar-te andmove all of the `lines .simultaneously.

Other 'objects and advantages reside vin ythe detail construction of -the invention, 4which is vdesigned -for simplicity, economy, and .efciency. These will become more apparent :from the fcl lowing description.

-In the -following ydetailed ldescription uoi -the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms Y apart hereof. v-liikenumerals refer tolikeparts -in-all-views ofthe dra-Wing and Vthroughout-the description.

11n the drawings:

'Fig 1 is a plan view of the improvedrnotordriven mechanism, Lillustrating the latter connected rinto a typical -P eldisprinklcrpipe line;

'Fig-2 is an enlarged, fragmentarywiew -of the left end of Va rear axle employed onltheiirrrproved vehicle;

Fig. 3 is asimilar View of the right end Qf the rear axle;

llig. 4 is an enlarged, ylongitudinal section through .the rearaxle;

Fig.'5is va side-view of the vehicle of Fig l; and

Fig. 6 is a side View of an interconnecting mechanism employed in the invention forcennecting two adjacent, aligned sprinkler pipe lines to rotate thelatter simultaneously.

Field `sprinkler systems ofthe type to which this invention applies. compriselong lines-offcon- -nected lengths ofsprinkler-.pipea suohas indioatedat lzfonthe drawing. 'The -sprinkleripipes Aare supported above .the :ground at internals -upon ground-engaging wheels alii, the ...axles .of which form couplings .for -1 ther adjacent ziengths of pipes. The pipes-mayextend-the enti-reewirdth of a eld and may be up to three-quarters oi a mile in length. The pipes are provided with sprinkler risers I2 carrying suitable nozzles i3 for spraying the water upon the plants in the field. The water is furnished to the pipe lines through flexible hoses, such as indicated in broken line at I4 in Fig. 4, from water mains l5 lying transversally of the axis of the sprinkler pipe lines. The water to the hoses I4 is Lcontrolled by any suitable valves Vl i5.

Each pipe length is provided at one extremity .With an encircling band Il supporting a rigid, .projecting :locking .tooth :I8 and a riveted .hook it. The other extremity of each pipe :length is provided with an encircling sleeve 20 Yhaving a locking ridge 2i ,and a guide apron y,22 `at its extremity. lThe guide apron serves to guide fthe extremity of .the adjacent ripe length into the sleeve 2d. The locking ridge 2| is designed to fbe engaged by the hook itil ,of the adjacent pipe length, andthe ridge 2l is provided with asocket 12| for receiving the extremity of Vthe lckillg :tooth I8 4oi the adjacent `extremity to prevent relative rotation of the :two pipe lengths. The irstextrernity is provided with an annular rub.- ber lsealing gasket 23 which .seals `against .the second pipe extremity Within the Ysleeve -2-9. vThe sleeves .are provided with coupling bosses 2li for receiving the sprinkler risers I2.

As thus yfar'described, lthe device .is one of .the usual iield `sprinkler systems. This invention provides a .motor-.driven vehicle lfor ymoving `a sprinkler pipeline consisting of a connected Yplurality of the pipe :lengths i9, as above described, transversally by vrollingtheentire stringof pipes and its supporting wheels Il.

The improved, Amotor-operated, actuating vehicle comprises a ftubulartaxle f25 corresponding in diameter to the diameter ofthe pipelengt'hs It. IThe axleisvnxedly mounted at its extremities in hubs l26 of tractionwheels 2l. One extremity of the axle 25 is provided with a locking hook 2 8 and aAlocking-tongue-QQ, similartotheflocling hook iQ and thelocking tongue ll'oflatypical pipe'length,-as shown Ainig. This extremity ofthe axle'nis also provided with a rubber sealing gasket similar to the conventional sealin'g v 'gaskets-@i3 oi the-pipelengths. The opposite-hub 26 -of the -tubularaxle A2 5 Ais formed .with la locking fridge 3 i, similar dto theprevously described locking `.ridges '21, .and f with .a yguide `apron :5.6,

similar .to Ythe guidey ,Y apron 22 ,of .a pipe length.

vFille-locking ridge is .provided ,with-adiey holerfi ffor.receiving.the rigid tooth IrS oan kadjacent pipe. Thus, the p. extremities ci two of the ,pipe

lengths lil can be attached to the two extremities of the tubular axle 25, similarly to the manner in which any two pipe lengths are secured together, thus connecting the tubular axle into the pipe line as a part thereof.

Two bearing sleeves 32 are rotatably mounted on the tubular axle and are attached to, and

form the support for, a vehicle chassis 33 which extends transversally from the pipe line and is supported at its forward extremity on suitable supporting wheels 34 which are carried on the extremities of a fixed axle 35.

A relatively large driven sprocket 35 is fixedly mounted on the tubular axle 25 between the sleeves 32. The sprocket 36 is rotated through the medium of a transmission chain 3l from a drive sprocket 38 on a rst counter-shaft 39. A belt pulley 40 is mounted on the counter-shaft 39 and driven through the medium of a lirst V-belt 4l from a drive pulley 42 mounted on a second counter-shaft 43. A second belt pulley 44 is mounted on the second counter-shaft 43 and driven through the medium of a second V-belt 45 from a motor pulley 45. The motor pulley d5 is rotated by means of any conventional internal combustion engine, such as indicated at 41, preferably through a clutch 48 actuated irom a suitable clutch lever 49.

Let us assume that the sprinkling has been completed at one location of the pipe line. The

lhoses i4 are disconnected. The motor 4'! is started and the clutch 40 is engaged. This causes the motor to drive the sprocket 35 through the series of transmission chains and belts above described. Since the sprocket is iixed on the tubular shaft, and since the wheels 2 are also fixed on the tubular shaft, the entire vehicle will travel at right angles to the length of sprinkler pipe.

The rotation of the wheels 2 is transmitted through the tongue 29 and the tongues i8 to the adjacent lengths of pipe l5, causing all of the wheels Il throughout the entire length of pipe to roll parallel to the wheels 2l until a new location is reached, at which time the vehicle 4will be stopped, with the sprinkler risers l2 in a perpendicular position. The feed hoses i4 will now be re-connected and the sprinkling continued at the new location.

In some iields the water main I will lie across the center of the field, with a string of sprinkler pipes extending outwardly in both directions from' the main and at right angles thereto. The feed hoses will then extend from the main in both directions, as indicated in broken line in Fig. 4.

In such elds it is unnecessary to have one of the motor vehicles for each length of pipe. The vehicle may be incorporated in one length andthe rotation transmitted to the other length across the water main I5 by the mechanism shown in Fig. 4.

The connecting mechanism comprises a tele- Y scoping shaft consisting of a square inner shaft 50 slidable within a tubular square outer shaft 5I. Both shafts 50 and 5i terminate in universal joints 52. One of the joints 52 terminates in a connecting member 53 carrying connecting hooks 54, similar to one extremity of a length of the pipe I0. The other universal joint 52 carries a connecting member 55 provided with a locking ridge similar to the other extremity of a length of pipe, which can be engaged by the hooks I9 of an adjacent wheel il, or an adjacent length of pipe. thereby providing a rotative con- 4 nectlon between the two separate lengths of pipe so that both lengths will travel simultaneously under the actuation of a single motor vehicle. j

When the new location is reached, the connecting members 53 and 55 are disconnected and pulled from the adjacent pipe lengths by co1- lapsing the telescoping shafts 50 and 5l, and the feed hoses i4 are then reconnected into place.

It will be noted that the tubular axle 25 forms a component part of the pipe line, this is, the axle forms a section of the pipe and the water flows through the axle similarly to the flow through the pipe.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

A vehicle for moving field sprinkler systems comprising: two spaced-apart, substantially horizontal vehicle chassis members; a iixed front axle secured to and extendingtransversally of the forward extremities of said chassis members; front ground-engaging wheels rotatably mounted on the extremities of said front axle to support the forward extremities of said chassis members; a horizontal bearing sleeve mounted on the rear extremity of each chassis member at right angles to the axis of the latter and in alignment with each other; a tubular rear axle rotatably mounted in said bearing sleeves and projecting oppositely outward from said chassis members; traction wheels iixedly mounted on the projecting extremities of said rear axle; means on each extremity of said rear axle for connecting the latter to a length of sprinkler pipe; a drive sprocket fixedly mounted on said rear axle intermediate said bearing sleeves; an engine supported by said chassis members; power transmission means transmitting power from said engine to said drive sprocket for rotating said rear axle and, throughit, said drive wheels; a rst length of sprinkler pipe detachably aiiixed to one extremity of said rear axle; a second length of sprinkler pipe aligned with the first length; a telescoping connecting shaft extending between the adjacent extremities of said pipe lengths; and universal joint means connecting the extremities of said shaft to the adjacent extremities of said pipe lengths so that the rotative effort of said rear axle will be transmitted through said first pipe length to said second pipe length.

DAVID G. IDLER.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 618,037 Johnson Jan. 1'7, 1899 679,045 Benson July 23, 1901 1,085,609 Heath Feb. 3, 1914 1,966,783 Balaam July 17, 1934 2,582,416 Cornelius Jan. 15, 1952 2,595,495 Stratman May 6, 1952 2,604,359 Zybach July 22, 1952 

